Joho, Mbadi have no choice but implement Bottom Up agenda - MP Njeri Maina

Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina has asked Treasury CS nominee John Mbadi and his Mining and Blue Economy counterpart Ali Hassan Joho to ready themselves to implement the bottom-up agenda.

Njeri said the two leaders' entry into the cabinet means they have to focus on ensuring the core agenda of President William Ruto is fully achieved.

"I want to trust that when the Cabinet secretaries are vetted and take the oath of office, they serve the bottom-up agenda and help the president implement the Plan,"  Njeri said.

She expressed her support for the inclusion of Azimio coalition members in the government but raised concerns over the contradictions in their statements.

 "We can't have people like Sifuna and Raila Odinga saying they had no idea about these nominees. This is the minority leader we're talking about, someone who holds a hierarchy in the Azimio coalition," Njeri said.

She urged the vetting committee to perform its duty diligently and ensure that the newly nominated CSs meet the expectations of the public.

"Once these Cabinet Secretaries are vetted and take their offices, they will serve the bottom-up agenda and help the President implement his plan," she stated.

At the same time, Maina called for Mount Kenya to rethink its political strategy in light of recent realignments and to consider the region's position in the 2027 elections.

"Mount Kenya must rethink its politics because we must look ahead and think where the region will be in 2027," she said.

She pointed out the President's prior assertions that Raila would not join the government, reflecting the dynamic nature of political alliances.

MP Njeri emphasized that politics is about interests and realignments, urging all regions to carefully consider their future strategies.

"It's all about politics, and we must rethink our approach to ensure we are well-positioned for the future," she stated.

To Gen Z, MP Njeri regretted that the group squandered its opportunity by refusing to engage President Ruto nad lacking a leadership that could ensure its interests are addressed.

"When you refused to engage, you left him no option but to seek political alliances to bolster support across the board. That is the game of politics, it’s purely driven by interests and self-preservation," she said.

With about three years to the next election, MP Njeri asked the group to sustain their momentum in the build-up to 2027,  register as voters, turn out to vote in mass in the 2027 polls and resist the attempt to do so along the tribal lines.

"There can be no overnight overhaul of the system. It has been built that way since independence. The issues plaguing this nation, stemming from corruption, cannot be wished away instantly. Even radical change takes time to build up cascading economic growth and equity," she said.

She added:

"Those issues are not your making, nor are they making of the now broad-based government. They’re a build-up of a bad system of governance that we picked up after independence."

"Engage widely, inform yourselves factually, politically and socially. You have the resources of time and numbers."